Redneck-proud Rudy Owens has potential to be Astros’ wild man

Astros pitcher Rudy Owens has an affinity for T-shirts with tigers and isn't afraid to show it. (Brian T. Smith/Chronicle)

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The thickening beard and messy, long hair are dead giveaways.

The tattoos – including a cactus, for his beloved home state of Arizona – are clear signs. The straight-faced, tongue-in-cheek hilarious one-liners are unavoidable hints.

But the tiger T-shirts seal it.

Lefthander Rudy Owens is the Astros’ wild man. A strong-armed, 25-year-old starting pitcher during baseball hours. An all-in, give-’em-hell straight-shooter off the diamond.

“I’m just a redneck. It speaks for itself,” Owens said. “I don’t really care what people think about me. So, I just do what I got to do. If people don’t like it, they can talk (mess). But I kind of, whatever, brush it off.”

And he buys tiger T-shirts. Cheap shirts dominated by large imprints of tiger faces and bodies. Owens’ loose, wild side captured by a cheap, gas station souvenir.

“You find a sweet shirt and you’ve just got to get it,” Owens said. “Whether it’s 30 bucks or it’s 10 bucks, it’s not the money. You have to have it.”

Some of Owens’ tiger shirts are missing sleeves. Why?

“Those just fall off when I start working out,” Owens said. “I don’t know what happens, I don’t know how it …